ILOILO CITY -- For the first time, legal action has been taken against officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the contractor of the unused P680-million flyover, one of the last pet projects of former senator Franklin Drilon in Iloilo.
Iloilo City Councilor Plaridel Nava filed criminal complaints against four officials of the Western Visayas regional office of DPWH for violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Protesters flock to the unused P680-million Ungka Flyover that straddles between Pavia town and Iloilo City, on Tuesday, May 23. The flyover is a project pushed by former Ilonggo senator Franklin Drilon. (Tara Yap/File/Manila Bulletin)
Named respondents were Regional Director Nerie Bueno, former regional director Tiburcio Canlas, Assistant Regional Director Jose Al Fruto, and Construction Division Chief Ormel Santos.
Also included in the charges sheet are International Builders Corp. (IBC) owner Allen Son Tan, the company’s President Helen Edith Lee Tan, and John Does.
“The DPWH officials will also be facing administrative complaints for gross neglect of duty and grave misconduct,” Nava told Manila Bulletin in a phone interview.
To recall, the flyover that straddles between Iloilo City and neighboring Pavia town has been closed since September 18, 2022. The flyover partially opened last June 30, 2022 and was fully opened by September 5. It was closed less than two weeks after its structural integrity was questioned as it began sinking.
Last month, an independent firm hired by DPWH claimed that P250 million in funding is needed to repair the defective and unsafe flyover.
Nava said he decided to take legal action and hinted that the flyover problem would not be addressed allegedly because of politics.
“We all know they are political allies,” Nava told Manila Bulletin.
Nava was referring to the linkage of contractor IBC as Congressman James ‘Jojo’ Ang Jr. of Uswag Party-list is the nephew of the contractor.
Uswag is a regional party-list that is the brainchild of Iloilo City Jerry Treñas.